Abraham Quintanilla III (born December 13, 1963), known professionally as A.B. Quintanilla III or A.B. Quintanilla, is an American record producer, songwriter and musician, and the older brother of singer

Selena Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...

, known as " The Queen of Tejano music". Along with Selena, his other sister

Suzette Suzette (; oc, Suseta) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. See also * Dentelles de Montmirail *Communes of the Vaucluse department The following is a list of the 151 com ...

, and his father

Abraham Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jew ...

, he became a member of Los Dinos in 1980. As a member of Los Dinos, A.B. played bass guitar, produced, and wrote songs for Selena that became successful singles such as "

Como la Flor "Como la Flor" ("Like the Flower") is a song that was recorded by American singer Selena for her third studio album ''Entre a Mi Mundo'' (1992). It was written by A. B. Quintanilla and Pete Astudillo. The song was conceptualized in 1982 afte ...

", "

Amor Prohibido ''Amor Prohibido'' ( en, italic=yes, Forbidden Love) is the fourth studio album by American singer Selena, released on March 13, 1993, by EMI Latin. Having reached a core fan base, the label aimed to broaden her appeal with the next studio rele ...

" and "

No Me Queda Más "No Me Queda Más" ("There's Nothing Left for Me") is a song by American singer Selena on her fourth studio album, ''Amor Prohibido''. It was released as the third single from the album in October 1994 by EMI Latin. "No Me Queda Más" was writ ...

" After Selena's death, he would create the bands

Kumbia Kings The Kumbia Kings were a Mexican-American cumbia group from Corpus Christi, Texas, created by A.B. Quintanilla. Their music encompasses the styles of cumbia (hence their name), hip hop, and R&B. They produce songs in both Spanish and English. ...

and

Kumbia All Starz Los Kumbia All Starz are an American musical group from Corpus Christi, Texas, created by A.B. Quintanilla. Kumbia All Starz are not to be confused with Los Kumbia Kings although some members are originally from Los Kumbia Kings. Their 2006 debut ...

Early life

Abraham Isaac Quintanilla III was born on December 13, 1963 in

Toppenish, Washington Toppenish () is a city in Yakima County, Washington. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 8,854. It is located within the Yakama Indian Reservation, established in 1855. Toppenish calls itself the city of Murals, as it has more than 75 ...

. He is the oldest child of

Abraham Quintanilla Jr. Abraham Isaac Quintanilla Jr. (born February 20, 1939)Patoski page 2 is an American singer, songwriter, and producer. He is the father of Tejano singer Selena and was her manager throughout her life. Quintanilla was born to a Mexican-American fa ...

and Marcella Ofelia Quintanilla (née Samora); and the older brother of

Suzette Quintanilla Selena y Los Dinos ( en, Selena and the Guys, Selena And the Dinos=Selena And The Dinos) was an American Tejano band formed in 1981 by Tejano singer Selena and her father Abraham Quintanilla. The band remained together until the murder of Sele ...

and the late

Selena Quintanilla Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...

. Shortly after he was born, Quintanilla and his parents would move to

Lake Jackson, Texas Lake Jackson is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States, within the Greater Houston metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 28,177. In 1942 a portion of Lake Jackson was first developed as a company town for wor ...

, where he would be raised there and where his two younger sisters were born.

Career

While living in

, A.B. learned to play the guitar and bass. Alongside Selena, his sister

, and their father, Abraham, he became a member of the successful band Los Dinos. A.B. also became Selena's producer. He co-wrote Selena's hit songs like "

" ("Like the Flower") and "

" ("Forbidden Love"). A.B.'s sister, Selena, was murdered on March 31, 1995, which greatly devastated him. He helped produce "Como Te Extraño" ("How I Miss You") by Pedro "Pete" Astudillo, which was written for Selena as well as Astudillo's late grandmother. The song earned Astudillo a

Premios Lo Nuestro The Lo Nuestro Awards or Premios Lo Nuestro (Spanish for "Our Thing") is a Spanish-language awards show honoring the best of Latin music, presented by Univision, a Spanish-language television network based in the United States. The awards began in ...

award for Best Song of the Year in 1996. A.B. Quintanilla later resurfaced in 1999 by creating the

, which mixed

cumbia Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans during colonial times, and Europeans. Examples include: ...

and pop music. The Kumbia Kings went on an international tour, had several CD releases and participated on such shows as

Cristina Saralegui Cristina María Saralegui de Ávila (born January 29, 1948) is a Cuban-born American journalist, television personality, actress and talk show host of the Spanish-language eponymous show, '. Before her television career, she worked for ten years ...

's ''El Show de Cristina''. Quintanilla also produced for such entertainers as

Thalía Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (; born 26 August 1971), known mononymously as Thalía, is a Mexican singer and actress. Referred to as the " Queen of Latin Pop", she is considered one of the most successful and influential Mexican artists. Havin ...

Alicia Villarreal Martha Alicia Villarreal Esparza (born August 31, 1971), known simply and professionally as Alicia Villarreal, is a Mexican singer-songwriter. Villarreal participated in different bands in Monterrey, before becoming the lead singer for Grupo L ...

Verónica Castro Verónica Castro (), full name Verónica Judith Sáinz Castro (born 19 October 1952), is a Mexican actress, singer, producer, former model and presenter. She started her career as a television actress, where she met comedian Manuel Valdés, fa ...

and

Cristian Castro Christian Sáinz Valdés Castro (born 8 December 1974), known professionally as Cristian Castro or Cristian, is a Mexican pop singer. He is the son of actors Veronica Castro and Manuel "El Loco" Valdés, and nephew of actors Ramón Valdés ...

. He produced and arranged the 2004 album, ''A.B. Quintanilla III Presents Joe Lopez'', which includes "Cuando Estoy Contigo" ("When I Am with You") and "Soy Tan Feliz" ("I'm So Happy"), co-written by Quintanilla and Luigi Giraldo. A.B. Quintanilla left

in mid-2006. A.B., along with new members and ex-Kumbia Kings

Chris Pérez Christopher Gilbert Pérez (born August 14, 1969) is an American guitarist, best known as lead guitarist for the Tejano band Selena y Los Dinos. He married the frontwoman of the group, Selena, on April 2, 1992. Pérez grew up in San Antonio, Te ...

(A.B.'s brother-in-law, Selena's widower) and Pee Wee; started the group

in 2006. This new group had hits such as "

Chiquilla "Chiquilla" is a song by A.B. Quintanilla Y Los Kumbia All Starz. It is the first single from their debut studio album ''Ayer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy Es Kumbia All Starz''. "Chiquilla" reached #7 on "Hot Latin Tracks", #9 on "Latin Regional Mexican ...

", "

Parece Que Va a Llover "Parece Que Va a Llover" (English: "It Seems It's Going to Rain") is a charanga song composed by Spanish-Cuban composer Antonio Matas in 1947 (born in 1912 in Palma de Mallorca, he settled in Cuba in 1940). It has been covered by many artists inc ...

", and "

Speedy Gonzales Speedy Gonzales is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He is portrayed as "The Fastest Mouse in all Mexico" with his major traits being the ability to run extremely fast ...

". The

have become immensely popular in South America, especially in Bolivia, where they performed a series of concerts in 2014. A.B. Quintanilla signed with DEL Records and formed Elektro Kumbia in 2016. In 2017, he released a single called "Piña Colada Shot".

In media

In the 1997 film ''

'', Quintanilla was played by

Jacob Vargas Jacob Vargas (born August 18, 1971) is a Mexican-American actor and performer. Early life Vargas was born in Michoacán, Mexico, and raised in Pacoima, Los Angeles, California. He was raised in a devout Roman Catholic family. He attended high sch ...

, while Rafael Tamayo played him as a child. In the 2020

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

TV series '' Selena: The Series'', he was played by

Gabriel Chavarria Gabriel Chavarria (born April 29, 1989) is an American actor. He played Jacob Aguilar in Hulu's ''East Los High'' and was the lead during Season One of USA Network's ''The Purge''. Career In 2007, Chavarria made his film debut ''Freedom Writers ...

, while Juan Martinez played him as a child.

Personal life

Quintanilla has eight children, including a son Svani (b. 1991) and a daughter Martika (b. 1989) with his first wife Vangie. Quintanilla also has five other sons and one daughter born between 2002 and 2007.(No author.
"A.B. Quintanilla poses with sons for People en Espanol,"
''People'', "Moms & Babies" section, April 7, 2008. He also has one grandchild. He married his longtime girlfriend Rikkie Leigh Robertson on November 12, 2011. On July 5, 2016, he announced after a concert that he was getting divorced from his wife. They have no children together. Quintanilla married Anjelah O., an Argentinian woman, on September 16, 2019, in Las Vegas.

Discography

;Albums with Selena * ''Mis Primeras Grabaciones'' (1984) * ''Alpha'' (1986) * ''Muñequito de Trapo'' (1987) * ''And the Winner Is...'' (1987) * ''Preciosa'' (1988) * ''Dulce Amor'' (1988) * ''

'' (1989) * '' Ven Conmigo'' (1990) * ''

Entre a Mi Mundo ''Entre a Mi Mundo'' ( en, italic=yes, Enter My World) is the third studio album by American singer Selena, released on May 6, 1992, by EMI Latin. In his recording debut with Selena y Los Dinos, guitarist Chris Pérez had fallen in love with Selen ...

'' (1992) * ''

Selena Live! ''Live!'' or ''Selena Live!'' is a live album by American Tejano pop singer Selena, which was released on May 4, 1993 by EMI Latin. The album was re-released on September 22, 2002 as being part of the ''Selena: 20 Years of Music'' collection ...

'' (1993) * ''

'' (1994) * '' Dreaming of You'' (1995) ;Albums with Kumbia Kings * ''

Amor, Familia y Respeto ''Amor, Familia y Respeto'' (English: ''Love, Family and Respect'') is the debut studio album by Mexican-American cumbia group A.B. Quintanilla y Los Kumbia Kings and the debut studio album by Mexican-American musician A.B. Quintanilla. It was re ...

'' (1999) * '' Shhh!'' (2001) * '' All Mixed Up: Los Remixes'' (2002) * '' 4'' (2003) * '' Presents Kumbia Kings'' (2003) * '' La Historia'' (2003) * ''

Los Remixes 2.0 ''Los Remixes 2.0'' (English: ''The Remixes 2.0'') is the second remix album and seventh album by Mexican-American cumbia group A.B. Quintanilla y Los Kumbia Kings and the second remix album by Mexican-American musician A.B. Quintanilla. It was re ...

'' (2004) * '' Fuego'' (2004) * '' Duetos'' (2005) * ''

Kumbia Kings Live ''Kumbia Kings Live'' is a live album and tenth album by Mexican-American cumbia group A.B. Quintanilla y Los Kumbia Kings and the first live album by Mexican-American musician A.B. Quintanilla. It was released on April 4, 2006, by EMI Latin. The ...

'' (2006) * ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

'' (2007) * '' Lo Mejor De'' (2016) ;Albums with Kumbia All Starz * ''

Ayer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy Es Kumbia All Starz ''Ayer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy Es Kumbia All Starz'' (English: ''Yesterday Was Kumbia Kings, Today Is Kumbia All Starz'') is the debut studio album by Mexican-American cumbia group A.B. Quintanilla y Los Kumbia All Starz and the fifth studio album ...

'' (2006) * '' Planeta Kumbia'' (2008) * ''

La Vida de un Genio ''La Vida de un Genio'' (English: ''The Life of a Genius'') is the third studio album by Mexican-American cumbia group A.B. Quintanilla y Los Kumbia All Starz and the seventh studio album by Mexican-American musician A.B. Quintanilla. It was relea ...

'' (2010) * ''

Blanco y Negro Blanco y Negro Records (Spanish: "White and Black"), a subsidiary of WEA Records Ltd., was established in 1983 by Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records and Mike Alway of él Records. Michel Duval of Les Disques du Crépuscule was also involved ...

'' (2013) * '' Éxitos en Vivo'' (2014) * '' Elektro Kumbia'' (2017)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* Archived from th
original
on May 17, 2014. *
A.B. Quintanilla
at

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quintanilla, A.B. 1963 births 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists American bass guitarists American child musicians American expatriates in Mexico American male bass guitarists American male guitarists American musicians of Mexican descent Capitol Latin artists Cumbia musicians EMI Latin artists Guitarists from Texas Guitarists from Washington (state) Hispanic and Latino American musicians Kumbia All Starz members Kumbia Kings members Latin Grammy Award winners Latin music record producers Latin music songwriters Lead guitarists Living people Mariachi musicians People from Corpus Christi, Texas People from Lake Jackson, Texas People from Toppenish, Washington Record producers from Texas Selena y Los Dinos members Songwriters from Texas Tejano pop musicians Universal Music Latin Entertainment artists